At long last comes the post I am most excited to publish, concluding my travel diaries. Photos are beautiful, however I feel can only translate so much and is much more limited considering my (lack of) photography skill. I've spoken to numerous people who have traveled to this city, and we all agree there is something about New York that steals your heart, takes your breath and removes your sanity. New York, New York, I'll be back.

There are few words to describe my time in New York without tarnishing the memories. Earlier this year, I wrote up a wishlist for the year in which New York was on.. New York was both a dream come true and a dream in itself. As for many people, my love for New York is difficult to put into words. Hopefully tomorrow's post will help you see it a little better from my point of view..

Deep within the heart of winter lied sunny San Francisco. A state that seemed to always be up, happy and ever so inviting. San Francisco cannot be denied of its beauty, so picturesque and friendly. Our short stay in San Francisco led to the squeezing in as many tourist activities as we could - shopping in Union Square (only a 5 minute walk from our hotel), the Painted Ladies, the Bridge, Alcatraz Island (which was incredible), Chinatown, and ending it with a beautiful sunset view from Lombard St.

Playing around in the nail bar in Sephora led to wandering the sections of one of my two favourite brands - YSL (the other being Dior). A short wander later and I came across the polish that stole my heart, Bleu Cobalt.

Bleu Cobalt, in the bottle, is an ever-so-slightly shimmery navy with purple reflex. On the nails however, I love it even more. The purple is non-existent - which is good for me as I'm not a fan of purple polish - and the shimmer is so fine that instead of looking like chunks of glitter, reflects light in a heavenly way. The cherry on top was the most beautiful brush I have ever used - flat but not too thick, allowing neat and easy application in a quick two or three swipes. Three days later, and still not a single chip. I went through a slump and didn't wear nail polish for a whole month because I was tired of the mundane and overused colours I was spotting, but YSL's Bleu Cobalt has captured my heart, sitting itself as my (one and only) favourite polish.

Although I'm not a great photographer nor do I know my way around editing software to enhance these pictures, these photos mean a lot to me and take me back to the best holiday of my life. After the year I've had, it was amazing to end 2013 with a traveling dream. When notifying others of my travels, they warned me that LA would be disappointing or unlikeable. Thankfully, I flew to find the opposite, it really felt like home to me. Los Angeles is a place I can see myself living ever so happily in years to come..

A visit to 3rd St Promenade is essential when visiting LA for a big shopper. Bigger stores, better stock. Not to mention the outdoor shopping experience is so peaceful and alongside beautiful weather, can really make you see the pure beauty of Los Angeles. After a quick shop and lunch, we made our way down to Santa Monica Pier and beach to relax... but to also see what the fuss was about.

It was a quiet afternoon, few people apart from a group of tourists - also from Australia - and two other families. The rides are definitely child-friendly and not for you if you're seeking adrenaline, but a nice place to stroll down after a day. We then made our way down to Venice beach - a place I wasn't so happy to be in, surrounded by 'marijuana doctors' and secondhand smoking - but the walk down was worth it. A long 45 minutes, but lovely to sense the chilled vibes of those strolling, jogging or riding their bikes down the lane.